Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-20
ATHLETIC RICHMOND.
WHAT THE MEN OF MUSCLE ARE
DOING HERE.
A Prosperous Yesr with the club-rhe
Manly Art Of sslf.Defence-A
Yankee Prize-Fighter.

4 III tHlt Ntdl vi btthsS Wiz AtAOli-
mond Athletic Club is not getting left.
II is on boom also. Its membership
is now. larger than it bas ever been,
there being some one hundred and
twenty names on the roll, and the daily
attendance is larger than for several
years past. In fact, the club is an
established institution in Richmond,
and it is the only organization of the
kind which has ever kept its head up
here for more than a year or SO. Since
1873, when it was organized with John
Hampden Chamberlsyne as president,
it has fourished more and more. 1t is
not boys club by any means. On the
contrary, seventeen is the minimum age
for membership. Many of our best
known business and professionalism
are upon its list of members and regu-
lar attendants during the hours of ex-
ercise.
THE REASON WHY.
ITO what do you attribute your
boom ;" asked Dispatch reporter of
q member Of the club.
ITO several causes" was the reply.
"In the first place, people are coming
to understand the uses and advantages
of athletics more than ever. This is
particularly true of men of sedentary
habits. You would be surprised to see
how the professions are represented.
Then, again, we are constantly adding
to our apparatus, and thus keep the |
snap in the club. But most of all, per-
haps, the boom is owing to the fact that |
last season We had teacher of sparring
for several months, which aroused a
good deal OF interest in the manly art
and brought in new members TO the
club and the same man is here now.
and is teaching in the club. besides
having private classes outside"
HE IS A PROFESSIONAL.
"Is Your teacher q professional ?"
asked the reporter.
"Well, l should say so" said the
athlete, smiling. "He is Professor
Marcellus Baker, of Boston, one of the
best-knOwn light-weights of the coun-
Try. He has been in the business for
wenty years, and if you saw him in
he glove-match at Singer Hall last
pring with Dacey you don't need 10
'e told that he is what is called, in the
language of the ring, 'scienced
nan. By the way, he is very quiet |
nd gentlemanly man, very unlike
Fhat you would imagine a prize-fghter ]
0 be, and is the best teacher | have J
yer seen. Ina course of ten or twelve {
essons he can teach man all the prin- {
lples of sparring, and after that it is {
My matter of practice. What do
on think of man who has not taken
drink OF water for twenty-one years q? =,
Yell, Baker is that man. He does not
'uch liquor of any kind nor use to- .
lcco In any form. His beverage is .,
a." Il
VETERAN OF THE RING. y
Professor Baker has his headquarters y
the American Hotel. He answers 81
ry well the description of him given
the DispGtch mans informant. But
spite his appearance and manner he
veteran of the ring. He was for fC
n years the lightweight champion of "a
w England. He fought four times to N
inish with bare hands, winning three nj
the four, and dozens of glove fights. az
which he has never been "stopped."
has the distinction of having fought pc
enty-two rounds before the Grand a
Ike Alexis when he was in this country pl
me years since. He is, besides. the III
ly living Yankee prize-fghter Chaving
en- born in Maine THAT is, he is the
" one who has fought with the "bare
IS his countrymen, he SAYS laugh
'ly, generally preferring to make mo-
by using their wits instead of their pl,
IDS. dc
THE FIGHT WITH DACEY. tai
Many of our readers will remember of
glove contest with Dacey in this she
last spring. 1t may be before he
yes he will give another such exhibit
with some clever fighter from the
th. Professor Baker is very well
d by the members of the Athletic
b, and they are urging him to make l
another match, as they think it will
} to keep alive the interest in ath-
IS in Richmond. sire